Change Our Currency's Denominations? - My Latest Coins Rant.

So who would pay for all the necessary changes to all the machines that take the present coinage and bills?

In that case, their prices are already going to be high. Rounding up would be irrelevant.

Just look to the North.

They converted to a dollar coin and then a two dollar coin. They survived the changes and are still up there, living life.

They just dumped their cent. I suspect they will still be there next year, looking at their southern friends who are still living in the 20th century.


I agree.

Yep, I agree.

If younger generations never use coins, almost nobody will ever collect them. Prices will fall and in the very long run, pretty much all coins except real rarities will be nothing, but novelties. It's already happened with stamps. Price guides still show lofty values for somewhat old and semi-rare pieces, but nobody is buying.

Setting aside all the economic and socioeconomic reasons for or against major overhauls and the ultimate elimination of physical currency, what would it do for the hobby. Well, approximately 20 years later the hobby will suffer and prices will drop. 50 years after, it will be all, but dead.

Saying "well, we still collect ancients and those societies don't even exist anymore...kind of" is not a proper argument because we still have our own coins and thus an association with their value and collect-ability. If a new generation does not understand currency other than a number on their computer, they will simply see all coins, ancients up to modern, as "old things." Someone might pay a premium for a 1916 SLQ because that one is a "special old thing." Even the 1923-S SLQ worth hundreds now...who's gonna buy that.

Crumb. If it follows that timeline, by the time I can afford a 1916 SLQ I won't remember I need one...probably won't know what one is...

I wish this was standard practice anyway, what you see is what you pay.




Very true, considering how many pennies get lost or thrown into fountains I really wonder how much money people would actually be out even if everything was rounded to a nickel.




Agreed with Jbuck, slow change would be better than a massive overhaul that really would be a shock.




That actually probably wouldnt be as much as an issue as people think. A lot of machines (especially vending machines) are being replaced for ones that also accept credit cards anyway, it wouldnt be that hard to revamp the ones that havent gone out if they dont already take a dollar coin

Yes, but we needed to start yesterday. By the time we do something about the cent or dollar, I am sure Canada will have already phased out their five cent coin and five dollar notes

... caught me red handed!


This is a date nail still positioned where it was installed/used. The nails were driven into a new RR tie when it was installed. When the tie had to be replaced, they would check the 2 digit date on the nail head and keep track (pun?) of the data so they could determine which type of ties (wood) and which type of treatments would last the longest.

Here is likely the smallest complete set (normally collected by railroad company) - the Western MD RR:



The copper nail (called a Hubbard nail) in the middle has a two inch diameter head, and is one of two known (and you are looking at the only known complete set). The Hubbards were driven into the side of a telegraph/telephone pole in the RR right of way. No one really knows what the purpose of them was since anyone who would be know to look for the nail would already know what RR they were on! Some did have numbers on them and maybe coordinated with maps so someone could report a location to the office by looking at the number on the Hubbar nail (?). And, OK, not that anyone would likely know - but there actually is one nail missing in the pic. The year 1956 had two different fonts used - I own one - just not in the pic!

And last, but certainly not least - and limiting myself to these 3 pics so as not to divert this thread further - here is a (hastily taken lousy picture) of a complete set of round Sante Fe RR date nails (they made pentagon and diamond shaped heads with numbers also).

No, none (except the Hubbard - ~250.00) of these are worth much anymore. The last price guide for date nails was put out in 1976. So why in the world do I care enough to collect them?

B/c it is fun, interesting to me, and a part of history that without nuts like myself would be totally forgotten.

So even if the future of coin collecting becomes a dead end like the once (believe it or not!) thriving/growing hobby of date nails, no one can erase the fun I derive from them. One glaring difference stands out though between my nails and my coins: any silver coins I choose to collect will always be worth silver value. History has shown PMs always retain value.

But I don't care... I like the nails also!